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Labs that can analyze feed for Monensin?

I'll break my 'don't post during work hours' rule for a very work - related post (Hi IT head and Hi Boss!). HOrse people are most careful about monensin so I'll put it in HC and not in the Menagerie. Some of you remember our feed saga - drought took out the corn, our sheep and senior feeds got wet and molded in transport, the locally produced stuff has monensin in it. A couple new farm stores just opened in Port and the other horse owner on campus went to them. Apparently one had US$20 feed and the other had US$10 feed marked for all animals - drawing of a horse head next to sheep, rabbit, pig, cow, chicken, etc and made in the Dominican Republic. No ticket, no ingredient list. Being green to livestock, of course he got the cheap stuff which SHOULD correspond to the $12 general feeds in the US.

I tried half that half wheat bran for the sheep, just a quart total between three of them. They fought over it the first feeding. Second day only one ate and one sniffed, one wouldn't look at the pan and looked like he felt 'meh' distinctly rather than his usual active self. Interest was directly related to who ate the most the day before. Today none will touch a 50/50 mix. Of course, I'm inclined to ditch the bag to a chicken producer and go back to wheat bran. But I need something to supplement the cornstalk we can get right now, especially for the sheep.

I suspect this 'all animal feed' may still have monensin in it, and not just be unpalatable, given they liked it the first day and seemed to feel off the next. Import laws are tightening up plus the ruined feed fiasco so I'd like a local source. But if I buy from a Hispaniola based source I'd like to KNOW if there is monensin.

Does anyone know of a lab I can send feed to and have it analyzed for monensin/ rumensin, not just nutrition? I can get a sample out for analysis esp. in the next week if I know where to send it. And about how much does the lab you know of cost for this analysis, if you know?

Thanks for the suggestion. Equi-Analytical doesn't list monensin contamination testing but I can email them, surely they get industry requests for that. I found a phone number on the bag and speak spanish so I can call and ask. Given the quality control attitudes I've personally seen on both sides of the border, and the low tolerance of ponies for monensin, I'd still love a chemist's opinion.

The bran and the mystery feed are kept completely apart and I'm not feeding the mystery feed to anyone - especially the pony. I've also warned the other pony owner not to try it yet. If I do get into Port on Friday I will try to get a chance to stop by and see what the other feed is, and if it can be trusted. What I'd really like is access to some sort of protein meal so I can make my own feed and be sure of what's in it.

Any toxicology lab should be able to test for it. I'd start with a vet school since you KNOW they're familiar with dealing with agricultural products. Just a few with webpages I pulled up super quickly.

Well, Equi-Analytical says they can't test for Monensin. I'm trying to find out if Ohio State U has that capacity, since we have someone going to Columbus next week. If they can't, I'll work through your links...

And since I have to go to Port Friday, I'll try to check out the other feed store and look for a straight protein source.

Well, Perdue can do qualitative analysis - that would be yes/no? Quantitative tests they send to UC Davis. For about $60. On just this one batch.

So since I have to go to Port Friday, I'll try to check out the other feed store and look for a straight protein source or that other feed. Sigh.

Last edited by HorsesinHaiti; Mar. 20, 2013 at 10:48 PM.
Reason: found more info.

I believe the State lab in Warrenton, Virginia can also run this test. You'd have to Google to get their phone #. Or I'd think most equine veterinary schools should be able to tell you a lab that does this.

Well, Equi-Analytical says they can't test for Monensin. I'm trying to find out if Ohio State U has that capacity, since we have someone going to Columbus next week. If they can't, I'll work through your links...

And since I have to go to Port Friday, I'll try to check out the other feed store and look for a straight protein source.

Well, Perdue can do qualitative analysis - that would be yes/no? Quantitative tests they send to UC Davis. For about $60. On just this one batch.

So since I have to go to Port Friday, I'll try to check out the other feed store and look for a straight protein source or that other feed. Sigh.

After getting stuck in a huge traffic jam on the route to Port that goes by the feed stores - the store with the cheap feed has no ticket or content info for that feed! I'll have to call the Dominican supplier and practice my Spanish, if I trust what I hear.

The other store will import horse and sheep feed on special order. I'm not sure I can count on them eating the cost of a wet load if they had the same issue we did - probably they'd demand payment up front and it would be tough luck for us. But importing feed would take the rest of the dry season anyway due to customs processing. (This other store also sells brand name Ivermectin paste, equivalent of $7.50 US). But they have 100 lb bags of soy flour, so I got one and will make my own feed with local ingredients this weekend.

Last edited by HorsesinHaiti; Mar. 23, 2013 at 08:36 AM.
Reason: I'm not all that coherent typing on a blackberry while travelling on a potholed road, am I!

Further update: I got home with the soy meal and pulled the mystery 'all animal' feed out of the bin. While getting the top gathered to tie off the bag I found a ticket buried Inside the meal. No ingredient list, but it did say what type of feed it was designed to be. I was right: inside the unspecified, multiple animals pictured bag it's actually LAYING HEN FEED. I called the other pony owner quick and said get rid of the stuff, it's the worst thing we could feed a horse.

The bag of soy meal looks and smells like - straight ground soybeans. So I'm confident that it's really straight soybean meal. Now I"m off tomorrow to find a 'make your own feed' calculator. Hoover Pony actually doesn't need much judging by his body condition. The sheep are not going to hold up well through the next couple months of mostly eating green cornstalks unless we make supplemental feed for them.

Once again, the cautions and information I've read on COTH over the years really do save the day. I didn't know squat about verifying grain mixes for various animals until I started reading threads here.